Bio

Tomas Hertl Bio

A center with great offensive instincts who is capable of scoring goals in bunches, Hertl was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (No. 17) in the 2012 NHL Draft.

He had 15 goals for Slavia Praha in the Czech Extraliga in 2011-12 as an 18-year-old and was named rookie of the year. Hertl then led Slavia Praha with 18 goals in 2012-13. He played in two World Junior Championships and one World Championship for the Czech Republic prior to arriving in San Jose in 2013.

A center with great offensive instincts who is capable of scoring goals in bunches, Hertl was selected by the San Jose Sharks in the first round (No. 17) in the 2012 NHL Draft.

He had 15 goals for Slavia Praha in the Czech Extraliga in 2011-12 as an 18-year-old and was named rookie of the year. Hertl then led Slavia Praha with 18 goals in 2012-13. He played in two World Junior Championships and one World Championship for the Czech Republic prior to arriving in San Jose in 2013.

Hertl had an assist in his League debut on Oct. 3, 2013, and scored his first two NHL goals, including the game winner, in his second game, Oct. 5 against the then-Phoenix Coyotes. Five days later, in a game against the New York Rangers, Hertl became the fourth-youngest player in NHL history to have a four-goal game. He also was the first player in Sharks history to score six goals in his first three NHL games and the first NHL player to score seven goals in his first five games since Blair MacDonald of the Edmonton Oilers in 1979-80.

After a hot start, Hertl was slowed when he sustained a knee injury Dec. 19, 2013. Hertl returned in April, in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and had a goal and an assist in his debut April 17, 2014, against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the first round. He followed his first NHL season by representing the Czech Republic in the World Championship, finishing second on the team in goals (three) and tied for third in points (six).

Playing all 82 games in 2014-15, Hertl was tied for second on the Sharks with four game-winning goals and finished with 31 points. Skating mostly on San Jose's top forward line with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski, Hertl had his first 20-goal season in 2015-16, getting 21 goals - 17 of them coming in San Jose's last 44 games - and led the Sharks in faceoff percentage (56 percent). He added another six goals and 11 points in 20 playoff games as San Jose reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time.